Thursday, April 05, 2018 3:50 pm

Woman suing Mormon church speaks of alleged rape

Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY – The Latest on a woman suing the Mormon church over alleged sexual abuse (all times local):

1:25 p.m.

A woman suing the Mormon church alleging she was raped by a former Mormon leader in the 1980s says she's seeking justice and wants the church to change how it handles sexual abuse reporting.

McKenna Denson said Thursday at a news conference in Salt Lake City that she was singled out, groomed and raped in 1984 by Joseph L. Bishop at the religion's Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah.

The 55-year-old Denson says she decided to sue after her numerous reports of the abuse to local church officials never led to any discipline.

The Associated Press doesn't usually name alleged victims of sexual assault but Denson has decided to go public with her story.

Bishop has denied raping her but acknowledged to police that he asked her to expose herself.

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9:09 a.m.

A woman who recently accused a former Mormon missionary training center director of raping her in the 1980s and the church of failing to take her allegations seriously has sued them.

In the lawsuit filed Wednesday, the woman repeats her allegation that Joseph L. Bishop sexually assaulted her in 1984 when he was president of the religion's Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah.

Bishop has denied raping her but acknowledged to police that he asked her to expose herself. His son, serving as his spokesman, didn't immediately return request for comment Thursday.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' spokesman Eric Hawkins said Thursday that the religion has faith in the judicial system but takes seriously its responsibility to hold members accountable.